Silva Signs to Fight Nakao at “Sengoku VI”

Dec 8, 2008 11:13 PM John Chandler

Antonio Silva. Photo by Esther Lin/EliteXC.

Former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva has formally accepted an offer to face K-1 and PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Yoshihiro Nakao at World Victory Road’s “Sengoku VI” show on January 4 according to a report by Sherdog.com.

Silva, who last scored a second-round TKO victory over Justin Eilers at EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” show on July 26, will take on Nakao despite being suspended by the California State Athletic Commission following a positive test for the banned steroid, Boldenone, earlier this year.

“Antonio has decided to fight, he really has no option,” Silva’s manager, Alex Davis, wrote in an email to Sherdog.com. “He’s innocent, he’s tried to prove it and it fell on unwilling ears, and he has financial commitments that to not meet would have serious consequences for him. In light of these, he has decided to continue his career in Japan until when and if his situation with the CSAC is resolved.”

CSAC Assistant Executive Director Bill Douglas has already reportedly stated that he will be forced to recommend that Silva’s license be revoked if he does indeed decide to go through with the planned fight against Nakao.

If the rest of the CSAC agrees with Douglas’ petition, Silva’s license would likely be frozen indefinitely, leaving him unable to fight in the state of California and various other states with sanctioning bodies should they choose to honor the aforementioned decision.